The two of us ate like royalty that night. Our dinner, compliments of a gift certificate given to us, included an exceptional cut of steak, sumptuous garlic mashed potatoes, and a beautiful Caesar salad in an atmosphere of pure elegance. There was just one problem – too much. The salad was more food than an entire meal. The smallest steak on the menu was 22 ounces. The portion of mashed potatoes could have easily fed four. By the time we finished our meal, eating less than half of the food served to us, we were so full that the meal had become distasteful.

Too much of a good thing is too much! In fact, too much of a good thing often transforms a good thing into a bad thing. For example, food can be such an enjoyable experience. The blessing of great food, though, becomes a curse when the plate is too full. Or consider our schedules. We commit to a few too many worthwhile endeavors. Soon we become busy. Busy turns into frenetic which turns into exhausting. Too much is too much!   In our oversaturated, overstimulated culture, we have forgotten that as humans we have limits. We continue to try to absorb too much news, too much debt, too much food, too much TV, too much technology, too many material possessions, too many commitments. The list is … too much! Gluttony is not only about food. Why do we allow this to happen?

At a basic level, we suffer from the constant lure of immediate gratification. We overeat, willing to deal with the consequences later. We spend too much and worry about the credit card bill down the road. Add to this problem, we have come to believe that we can have it all. We think we can have our cake and eat it too, and even throw in a brownie while we’re at it. Only, once we throw in the brownie, we find that the saying is just not true – we cannot have it all. Too many commitments will overwhelm us. Too many purchases will clutter our homes. Too much technology will ruin our peace.

I feel the daily temptation of too much. At times, I think that half my day is spent undoing the consequences of decisions for more, rather than less. Those decisions sap energy and joy from life. I have come to realize that every time I say yes, I am implicitly saying no to something else. How do we make progress in an area of life that lures us in so subtly?

• Lean toward less– There is a lot of truth to the saying, “Less is more and more is less.”
• Lean toward simple – Simplicity brings clarity and fights impulsivity.
• Lean toward slow– When we slow down, we learn how much better life can be when enjoyed slowly.
• Pause before saying yes– A simple pause, with a little thought, can keep us from bad decisions. If after pausing and reconsidering, we still choose yes, then we are more likely to be on solid ground.
• Practice saying no– When we practice saying no, we realize that saying no is an option.

How do you fight the temptation of too much?